Acetylene-gas generator.



G. H. EMERSON, R. D. HAWKINS & P. T. KITCHEN.

AUETYLENB GAS GENERATOR. APPLICATION FILED APE.17.1905.

Patented Aug". 24, 1909.

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G. H. EMERSON, R. D. HAWKINS & P, T. KITCHEN. AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.17,1905 932,006. Patented Aug. 24, 1909. 4SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Vl/A 2 .lrIv04ft!iIIII!IiIIIlIIIIIIIIII/IIII! Inventors George ii'mersoRoberifl all/Kins 26- wltnesses ANDREW. I

B. GRAHAM c0 Pnumumosnm-lins. wnmuurcn l1 (1 G. H. EMERSON, R. HAWKINS &F. T. KITCHEN. AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR. APPLICJATION FILED APR.17.1905.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

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APPLIGATION FILED APR. 17. 1905.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

4'SHEETS-SHEET L Inventors Emers aberijlfYaw/iz'zzs UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

GEORGE H. EMERSON, ROBERT D. HAWKINS; AND FREDERICK T. KITCHEN, F STQPA'UL, MINNE- SOTA, ASSIGNORS T0 GOLD CAR HEATING & LIGHTING COMPANY, OFNEW, YORK, N. Yl, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AGETYLENE-G-AS GENERATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE E. EMERSON, RoBEn'r D. HAWKINS, andFREDERICK T. KrrorrEN, citizens of the- United States, and residents ofSt. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota, have invented a new, useful,and'Improved Acetylene-Gas Generator, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvementsin means for safely andeconomically generating acetylene gas from calcium carbid, and hasparticular reference to improvements in acetylene gas generators withspecial bearing upon the equipment of railway cars.

The primary object of our invention is to provide an acetylene gasgenerator whereby acetylene gas may be rapidly, safely and automaticallygenerated in desired quantities and at desired times.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gas generator thatshall be of simple and durable construction and so arranged that it maybe safely and quickly charged and emptied.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gas generator for andupon railway cars and to so arrange and construct said generator that itmay be chargedand emptied from the exterior of the car, to the end thatall danger of flooding the car with gas shall be avoided; and for thefurther purpose of lessening the cost of attendance upon the generator.

Still another object of the invention is to construct and provide a gasgenerator for railway cars, which shall be small, compact and of neatappearance; and a particular object is to provide a gas generatorofgreat strength and so located within and combined with the framing ofthe car that it shall be practically impossible for the same to become asource of danger even though the car be wrecked.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

We attain these objects by the employ:

ment of, and our invention consists m, a gas generator of theconstruction and combination of parts, hereinafter described andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Our invention will be more readily under- Speeification of LettersPatent.

Application filed. April 17, 1905.

SeriaLNo. 256,089.

stood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and in which Figure l is a vertical, transverse sectionof a railway car or coach, equipped with a gas generator embodying ourinvention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the middle portion ofthe generator, showing the manner of supporting and wetting a quantityof carbid; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the water measuring andfeeding device, on the line of Fig. 2 Fig. at is an enlarged sectionalview of the middle portion of the generator, taken on the line g y ofFig. 1, and'showing the carbid-feeding mechanism; Fig. 5 is a sectionaldetail, on the line .22 of Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on theline uu of Fig. 4, the vertical section being continued through theregulating and operating diaphragm that is adjacent to the upper end ofthe generator (see Fig. 1) Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the upper endof the generator, showing the closure therefor; Fig. 8 is a plan viewthereof; Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the lower end of the generator,showing the closure and also the means for supporting the residue can;Fig. 10 is a plan view of the lower casting of the generator, to be readin connection with Fig. 9; and Fig. 11 is a sectional detail of one ofthe residue can latches on the line w w of Fig. 10.

Before proceeding with the description of our acetylene gas generator asapplied to railway coaches, we deem it proper to state that ourgenerator is applicable to other uses, particularly to the furnishing ofgas for the lighting of stores and residences. As such uses and alsonumerous modifications of our invention will readily suggest themselvesto one skilled in the art, we do not confine our invention to thespecific constructions, arrangement and use herein shown and described.Nevertheless, we consider our invention to be of most importance andgreatest utility in the lighting of railway coaches and trains,including locomotives; and desire to direct particular attention to theadvantages olfered in that connection.

Referring now to the drawings, our generator, in its preferred form, isa long, tubular structure, placed at the side or in a corner of the car,with its ends protruding through the floor and the roof of the car.

Patented Aug. 24:, 1909.

Closures are provided for both ends of the structure at points outsideof the car, these closures being of any suitable design, calculated tofacilitate access to the interior of the generator and to tightly closethe ends thereof. The upper part of the tubular body or structure isdevoted to the reception of calcium carbid. The middle portion containsa carbid hopper and a feeding mechanism and it also contains a gratingupon which a quantity of carbid is deposited by the feeder, and asprayer through which the necessary water is supplied to decompose themeasured quantity of carbid. The lower portion of the tubular bodyserves as a residue chamber to receive the slaked calcium carbid andsurplus water. To these main elements of the generator are added severalautomatic regulating devices which control the feed or supply of carbidand water, and these, with the necessary gas pipes and conduits completethe gas generating system. The tubular structure alluded to preferablycomprises a cylindrical tube or large pipe, 2, extending the full heightof the car and projecting through the floor, 3, and the roof, 4,thereof. We usually employ a seamless steel tube of heavy gage,possessing sufficient strength to render it practically impossible tobreak the same by any blow to which it is subjected as in the case ofthe wrecking of the car. At the lower end of the tube is a circularcasting, 5, screwed onto the end of the tube, 2, as shown in Fig. 9.This casting is provided with side lugs, 6-6, which rest upon theframing bars or beams, 7, in the car underframe, thus supporting theentire generator. The lower edge, 8, of the ring is turned smooth, thebottom closure of the generator comprises a disk, 9, carrying suitablepacking, 9, and adapted to close against the lower edge, 8, of the ring.The disk, 9, is supported by the lever, 10, pivoted upon lugs, 11, onthe ring, 5, and normally held up by a swivel screw, 12, having a handwheel, 13, which engages the bifurcated end of the lever, 10. The screw,12, is pivoted between lugs, 12, on ring, 5. To insurea tight joint, thelever, 10, is provided with a point or projection, 10, which enters apoint socket, 9", in the bottom of the disk, 9, the pressure beingapplied centrally thereon. The upper end of the generator is closed by asimilar device arranged above the roof of the car. This upper closurecomprises a ring screwed upon the tube, 2, a disk, 14, a lever and ahand screw, preferably identical with those of Fig. 9. In both cases, weprovide the disk or closure proper with hinge lugs, 14, pivoted on thesame pin with the lever, 10, to prevent the loss of the closures. Theopenings in the hinge lugs are larger than the pivot pin, leaving thedisk free to be seated by the pressure of the fastening or I lever. Thetop of the generator is usually which extends through the side of thegen- 139 protected by a housing, having a hinged top, 15, that may bethrown back over the car roof, to uncover the generator.

The bottom of the carbid compartment in the upper part of the tube, 2,is formed by a hopper, of the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Thishopper comprises a cylindrical sleeve, 16,which fits the tube and restsupon lugs, 17 on the inner walls thereof, taken together with theinclined bottoms, 18, 19 and 2020, the latter terminating in verticalportions, 20. A substantially rectangular carbid feed opening is thusformed at the bottom of the carbid space, A. This opening is in anoperative sense closed by an oscillatory cut-off and feeding device thatis arranged upon the cross shaft, 21. The feeder is a semi-cylindricalstructure, comprising the plate, 22, the sides, 23, and the curved endor flange, 24. The normal position of the plate, 22, is as shown in Fig.5. The sides, 23, work against the side flanges, 20, of the hopper, andthe curved end, 2 1, of the feeder, makes a comparatively tight slidingjoint with the lower end of the hopper bottom, 19. The whole device ispreferably a metal casting, as indicated in the drawings, and is rigidlyfastened upon the cross or rocking shaft, 21.

As positioned in Fig. 5, the feeder is ready to receive a charge ofcarbid from the hopper, and it will be obvious that when the feeder isrocked or oscillated to the posi tion shown in dotted lines (Fig. 5),the charge of carbid resting upon the plate, 22, will be discharged, thecurved end, at, of the feeder meantime cut-ting ofi the fall or flow ofcarbid from the hopper. By this means we are able to supply regularmeasured quantities of carbid for decomposition in the lower part of thegenerator.

Neglecting for the moment the means employed for operating the carbidfeeder, we will now describe the means for temporarily supporting aquantity of carbid that has been measured and discharged from thehopper. This means is of'simple character, comprising a grating, 25,arranged in the generator tube or body beneath the carbid feeder. eprefer that the grating, 25, shall be circular and somewhat smaller thanthe generator tube so that it may vibrate therein,.and the more readilydischarge all slaked carbid. To permit its free vibration, the gratingis suspended by three cords or chains, 26, having their upper endshooked over the top of the residue can, 29, to the end that the gratingmay be removed with the can as hereinafter described. Immediately abovethe grating, we arrange a sprayer, 27, through which water is sprayed ordischarged onto the carbid upon the grating. The spray head, 27, may beof any suitable form, and is attached to a pipe, 27,

erator, .to receive water as hereinafter described. The space, B,beneath the grating and closed by thehingedbottom of the generator isintended to receive the decomposed or slaked calcium carbid, and tofacilitate the removal of such residue, a residue can, 29, is placed inthe lower end of the generator. A tapered ring, 30, within the tube, 2,overlaps the upper edge of the can, 29, when in position. If desired,the bottom of the residue can, 29, may be allowed to rest upon thebottom closure, 9; but we find it more convenient to support the sameupon spring latches, 31, in the ring, 5, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

The latches are simple spring bolts, arranged within the housings, 5,cast on the ring, 5, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The outer ends of thehousings are closed by tight plugs, 32, to prevent leakage of gas. Bothslaked and. unslaked carbid and the surplus water falling from theflexible grating, will be received by the can, 29, and when it isdesired to rid the generator of residue, it is only necessary tounfasten and drop the bottom closure, 9, and then press back thelatches, 31, whereupon the can, 29, will drop down upon the-trackbeneath the ear. The full can may be thus quickly removed and replacedby an-empty can and when the upper chamber, A, has been filled withcarbid, so to speak, through the roof of the car, the car may proceed onits Way, the delay occasioned by the emptying and recharging of thegenerator having been of negligible effect. The water is preferablysupplied toour generator from an elevated tank, 33, at the top ofthecar, and which may be filled through the roof of the car. The generationof acetylene gas is attended by considerable heat; and to cool the gaswithin the generator and avoid the annoyance consequent upon thepresence in the car of a hot tube of these dimensions, we

prefer to insulate the outer surface of the generator. This weaccomplish by means of another metal tube, jacket or casing, 34, thesame being of greater diameter than the tube, 2, so that an annularspace, 35, remains between the two tubes. The tube or jacket, 34. isshorter than the tube, 2, .and the annular space, 35, is closed at topand bottom by means of rings, 3636. The pipe, 33, leading from the watertank, 33, is connected with the top of the space, 35, and said space istherefore always filled with water, forming a part of the waterreservoir of the generator.

The wall-of Watersurroundingthe gener ator, effectively prevents theradiation of heat therefrom toany annoyingextent, and what is moreimportant, maintains a .low ten'iperature within the generator. Themanner of supplying water to the carbid sprayer will be best understoodby reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, when it will be seen that the water isconducted through a bypass, which connects the upper portion of thewater space, 35, with the sprayer pipe, 27. A portion of the by-pass iscomprised of the water-measuring device which is adapted tointermittently supply definite quantities of water to the sprayer. Themeasuring device is a closed cylinder or chamber, 37, arranged at theside of the generator and having two openings, 38-39 in its top, and asingle opening, 40, in its bot-tom. \Vithin the cylinder, 37, is astandpipe, i1, having its lower end screwed into the plug, l0. Thisstandpipe carries a bell or tube, 42, closed at the top and open at thebottom.

Communication between the tubes 42 and 41 is established by openings,43, at the top of tube, 41, and the device operates as a siphon.

44. is an adjustable sleeve on the lower end of the bell, 4:2, forregulating the length of the bell, 42, to nicely determine the quantityof water that will be delivered from the cylinder, in the mannerhereinafter explained. The lower end of tube, 11, is connected with thesprayer pipe, 27, by a pipe, 45, suitable threaded sleeves, 4:6, 46,being employed in the walls of the generator. There is no directconnection between the interior of the cylinder, 37 and the sprayervalve, 48, and a check valve, 49, and connected with the water space,35. The check valve operates inwardly to close the passage when there isan excess of gas in the cylinder, 37. As intimated, the cylinder, 37, isconnected. with the body of the generator by pipes, 50 and 51, thelatter being the main gas outlet of the generator, and containing avalve fitl, by which the flow of gas may be shut off. \Ve may connectthe gaspipe, 51, to the generator at a point above the water jacket, asshown in Fig. 1, and said pipe or a connected pipe 51 extends fromthence downward through the floor of the car to a freezing tank, 52, inwhich the gas is rid of moisture.

53' represents a burner supply pipe and 54 a gas lamp within the car.

Returning now to the carbid feeding mechanism, with direct reference toFigs. 1, 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings. it will be seen that at a pointadjacent to the carbid feeder, the generator tube is provided with asaddle plate, 55, and an opening, 56, through which the feeder may beinserted. This opening closed by the flange, 57, of the hollow arm, 57,having an enlarged hollow portion or head, 57". at its outer end. Theshaft, 21. has a bearing. 21. on the wall of the generator and otherbearings. 5S53. in the arm, 57. The circular webs of the bearings, 58-

58, are provided with gas holes 58, but otherwise form a closed springchamben within the arm, Within this is a coil spring, 59, having one endattached to the shaft, 21, and the other to the bearing, 58. lVhen theparts are assembled, the spring is turned to place it under such tensionthat it will have a tendency to hold the feeder in its opened position.In other words, the tendency of the spring is to turn the feeder anddischarge the carbid resting thereon, upon the grating. This tendency ofthe spring is opposed by a diaphragm. 60, the casing, 61, of which, is,for safety, placed above the roof of the car, and connected with theinterior of the generator by a standpipe, 62, having its lower endscrewed into the top of the hollow arm, 57. The outer end of the shaft,2.1, carries a quadrant or segment, 63, and a cord or cable, 6%, extendsfrom this to a fastening, 60, on the diaphragm, 60. An accumulation ofgas pressure within the generator will be communicated through the arm,57, and pipe, 62, and if sufficiently powerful to overcome the strengthof the spring, 59, will elevate the diaphragm, 60, against theatmospheric pressure upon the top thereof, thereby causing the return orreverse rotation of the quadrant, 63, and the feeder, 22, to close thebottom of the carbid hopper or compartment, A. We prefer to form thequadrant, 63, as a portion of an oval or ellipse, so that the diaphragmmay exert its greatest leverage to hold the feeder closed. A lever, 65,is mounted above the diaphragm. The lever is used for starting thegenerator, the operation being to forcibly elevate and depress thediaphragm, through the medium of the lever, one or more times asrequired, to deposit a quantity of carbid upon the generator grating. Asshown in Figs. 1 and 6, we usually provide the generator with a secondgas connection to the pipe, 51, same being a short pipe, 68, andextending from the plate or flange, 57, on the side of the generator. Asshown in Fig. 1, the valve rods, 48 and 69, are extended through theroof and provided with suitable handles so that the valves can beoperated only from the exterior of the car. The control of the generatoris thus put beyond the province of the trainmen.

From the following description of the operation of our invent-ion, itwill be understood that the automatic carbid feeding mechanism and thewater feeding mechanism are interdependent and constitute a combined,automatic controlling mechanism, by which the generation of gas may bereliably regulated.

Assuming that the generator-is empty and is about to be put intoservice; at such time, the valves, 48, and 69, the only ones, will beclosed. The man whose duty it is to charge the generator, will ascend tothe roof of the car, and, opening the upper end of the generator, willplace a quantity of carbid in the carbid chamber, A, thereof, afterwardcarefully replacing the cover or closure. At the same time, the watertank, 33, will be filled and the diaphragm lever operated to dump aquantity of carbid, after which the generator is ready for service. Asthere is no pressure of gas within the generator at this time, thediaphragm will fall when the lever, 65, is released, and freeing theshaft, 21 will permit the spring, 59, or an equivalent weight, to rotatethe feeder to the dotted line position of Fig. 5, and discharge thecarbid previously deposited therein. When this has been accomplished,the attendant, still on the car roof, opens the water and gas valves.Immediately water will flow into the chamber, 37, and as soon as water,accumulating in the chamber, 87, rises to a level slightly above theopenings, 43, at the top of the siphon, the siphon action will beinstituted and substantially the whole body of water collected withinthe chamber, 37, will be siphoned out of said chamber and dischargedupon the carbid on grating, 25, through the sprayer, 27, therebyinitiating the generation of gas. Water will continue to be fed throughthe siphon until suflicient gas has accumulated to exert back pressureupon the check valve, 49, in the bypass, the water passage being thenclosed by said check valve.

Pressure which is sufficient to close the check valve is almostsufficient to elevate the diaphragm in the manner explained, therebyrestoring the carbid feeder to its closed or receiving position. Theclosing of the feeder follows the cutting off of the water, and theopening of the feeder precedes the next flow of water. The feeder willthus be automatically recharged with carbid in readiness to supplyanother measured quantity upon the grating as soon as the pressureWithin the generator falls below the strength of the feeder spring, 59.When this occurs, the charge of carbid will be dumped and at the sametime, the check valve, 49, will be freed, so that the siphon will againbegin to fill with water. The power of the spring, 59, the area of thediaphragm, 60, and the head of water in the tank are factors which enterinto the control of the machine and which are determined in advanceaccording to the required capacity of the machine. The volume of waterwhich will be discharged from the siphon is determined by the dimensionsof the cylinder, 37,by the position of the adjustable sleeve, 44, on thesiphon, and by the sensitiveness of the check valve, and these parts arepreferably so proportioned that the operation of the siphon willcontinue several minutes and will supply water somewhat in excess of thetheoretical quantity of water required for a measured quantity of carbidon the grating. At the end of the car run, or at any other convenienttime usually just previous to recharging the generator With carbid, thegenerator is emptied readily by the simple Opening of the lower end ofthe generator and the removal of the residue can, after shutting ofwater and gas cocks.

We have found it possible and advantageous to use our generator tofurnish gas for the several lamps upon locomotives, and in such cases,place the generator in the 10- comotive tender water tank, connectingthe same with the pipes or conduits on the locomotive by a flexiblehose. We also deem it proper to state that when our generator is used inresidences, the diaphragm may be dispensed with and the carbid feederoperated from the movable bell of a gasometer.

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. A car, in combination with an acetylene gas generator body of uniformdiameter throughout and'of greater height than the body of the car andhaving its ends extending through the floor and the roof of said car, todischarge and receive material, and suitable closures clamped upon theends of the generator, substantially as described.

2. A car, in combination with a gas generator body comprising an uprighttube of uniform diameter throughout, said generator body having a bottomclosure beneath the floor of the car for emptying the body of slakedcarbid, and a closure or cover for the upper end of the body upon theexterior of the car, substantially as described.

3. A car, in combination with an acetylene gas generator having a bodyextending through both the floor and ,the roof of the car and providedwith suitable top and bot tom closures, which, when open, permit thegenerator to be charged and emptied from the exterior of the car,suitable carbid and water supplying means within the generator, andmeans upon the exterior of the car for regulating the operation of saidmeans, sub stantially as described.

4. A structure, such as a car, in combination with a. generator bodyarranged vertically in said car and provided with suitable closuresbelow the car floor and above the car roof, a carbid feeding devicedividing said body into an upper carbid holding com partment and alowerresidue compartment, means upon the exterior of the car, in gasconnection with said body and adapted to operate the carbid feedingdevice, and suitable means for supplying water to the lower part of saidbody, substantially as described.

5. A car, in combination with a generator arranged within said car,adapted to be filled and emptied only from the exterior of the car andhaving automatic carbid and water feeding means, the whole being of suchconstruction that the operation of the generator is manuallycontrollable only from the exterior of the car, substantially asdescribed.

6. A structure, such as a car, in combination with an acetylene gasgenerator, comprising a body containing carbid and water feeding meansand having its upper and lower ends projecting through the roof and thefloor of the car respectively, suitable closures for the upper and lowerends of said body, a gas operated device adjacent to one of the ends ofsaid body and exposed upon the exterior of the car, said device beingadapted to operate said feeding means, and means upon the exterior ofthe car for arbitrarily actuating said gas opera-ted device, there beingalso a suitable gas system within the car and connected to saidgenerator, substantially as described.

7. A car, in combination with a generator body having its ends extendedthrough the floor and roof of said car, closures for the ends of saldbody, a carbid feedlng devlce within said body, a diaphragm located uponthe exterior of the car and adapted to operate said feeding device,means upon the exterior of the car for operating said diaphragm at will,a valved gas outlet for said generator body, a water reservoir, a valvedwater passage connected therewith and discharging into said body, andmeans upon the exterior of the car for operating the gas and watervalves, substantially as described.

8. A car, in combination with a tubular generator body of uniformdiameter throughout having its ends projected through the floor and roofof said car, closures hinged upon the upper and lower ends of said body,closure-securing means also secured thereon, carbid feeding and sprayingmeans within said body, a water reservoir, and an automatic gas pressureactuated diaphragm controlling the operation of said feeding andspraying means, substantially as described.

9. A car, in combination with a generator body comprising a large pipehaving its ends projected through the floor and roof of said car,suitable end closing covers on the ends of said body, a closed waterjacket surrounding said body within the car, and suitable automaticcarbid and'water feeding means in and upon said body, substantially asdescribed.

10. A generator, comprising a large pipe or tube of uniform diameter, incombination with ring castings upon the ends of said pipe, end closingcovers arranged on said ring castings, a tubular water acket of lesslength than said tube and closed at its ends, a water reservoirsupplying said jacket, and carbid and water feeding means providedwithin said pipe, the latter being supplied from said reservoir,substantially as described.

11. In an acetylene gas generator, a generator body containing carbidand residue compartments, in combination with a carbid measuring andfeeding device interposed between said compartments, a grating belowsaid device, a sprayer located within said body between said device andsaid grating to direct water upon the carbid as delivered by saiddevice, gas pressure operated means for actuating said device, and gaspressure controlled means for intermittently supplying water to saidsprayer, substantially as described.

12. In an acetylene gas generator, a gen erator body to contain carbid,in combination with a water sprayer located below the point of carbiddelivery within the generator, and an intermittentgas-pressure-controlled water siphon connected with said sprayer, forsupplying measured quantities of water thereto, substantially asdescribed.

13. In an acetylene gas generator, a body containing a carbidreceptacle, in combination with a water pipe entering said body, asiphon connected with said pipe, a siphon chamber, a water reservoirconnected with said chamber and an automatic cut-01f valve forinterrupting the flow of water to said siphon chamber when the pressureof gas within said body becomes excessive, substantially as described.

1 In an acetylene gas generator, a generator body adapted to containcarbid in its upper part, a carbid measuring and feeding device providedin said body, a suitable grating provided in the body to receive the canbid discharged by said device, a sprayer ar ranged above said gratingand beneath said feeding device, automatic means for actuating saidfeeding device and an automatic water siphon for measuring and supplyingwater. to said sprayer, substantially as described.

15. In an acetylene gas generator, a generator body, in combination witha carbid measuring and feeding device in the upper part of said body, asuitable gratingbeneath said device to receive carbid therefrom, thelower part of said body providing space for the reception of slackedcarbid, automatic means for actuating said device, a siphon chamber, awater reservoir connected with said chamber, a water cut-off valvebetween said chamber and said reservoir, a siphon within said chamber, apipe leading therefrom to a point within the body above said grating,and a gas pipe or duct forming communication between the top of saidsiphon chamber and the upper part of the generator body, substantiallyas described.

16. In an acetylene gas generator, suitable means to contain carbid, incombination with a water reservoir and an intermittently operable waterfeeding siphon and siphon chamber interposed bet-ween said reservoir andthe carbid container, substantially as described.

17. In an acetylene gas generator, a generator body-to contain carbid,in combination with a water reservoir, a siphon chamber having its topin communication with said body and with said reservoir, a water cut-offor check valve interposed between said chamber and said reservoir, and asiphon arranged in said chamber for intermittently discharging watertherefrom into said body, substantially as described. 7

18. In an acetylene gas generator, a generator body, in combination withan intermittent carbid measuring and feeding device arranged in theupper part of said body, a swinging grating arranged within the bodybelow said feeder and intermittentwater supplying means above saidgrating and. beneath said device for discharging water upon saidgrating, substantially as described.

19. In an acetylene gas generator, a generator body, comprising a pipeor tube of substantially the same diameter throughout, in combinationwith means supporting said pipe or tube in an upright position,removable covers or closures fitting the ends of said pipe and makingthe same gas tight, a swinging grating midway of said pipe to support abody of carbid, flexible supports for said grating secured to the sideof said pipes, whereby said grating will be automatically agitated byany movement of the pipe or tube, gas pressure controlled means forfeeding water into said body arranged above said supports and a gasoutlet pipe leading from the upper part of said body, substantially asdescribed.

20. A car, in combination with a large pipe or tube of substantially thesame diameter throughout, occupying a vertical position in said car andextending through the floor and roof thereof, removable covers orclosuresfitting the ends of said pipe outside the car, means dividingsaid pipe into an upper unslaked carbid receiving portion and a lowerslaked carbid receiving portion, a water reservoir connected with saidpipe or tube and a gas pipe leading from the upper part of said pipe ortube, substantially as described.

21. A closed gas generator body comprising a pipe or tube, havingdetachable covers at its ends and adapted to contain slaked and unslakedcarbid, in combination with a water pipe leading into said tube, asiphon at the upper end of said water pipe, a siphon chamber inclosingsaid siphon, a water supply pipe connected with said chamber, a checkvalve therein a gas pipe joining said chamber and the generator tube anda gas pipe leading from the upper part of the generator tube,substantially as described.

22. An acetylene gas generator in combination with a. chamber forunslaked carbid,

an inclined plate within said chamber, an oscillatory cutoff and feederfor receiving and discharging measured quantities of carbid from thechamber, a tubular extension communicating with said chamber adja centsaid feeder, a diaphragm chamber at the terminus of said extension,means for admitting the generated gas to the diaphragm chamber, adiaphragm therein, connections between the diaphragm and the feeder, andmeans tending to hold said feeder in discharging position, said meansbeing housed within said tubular extension; substantially as described.

In an acetylene gas generator, an inner shell and a spaced outer shell,forming an annular Water space therebetween, means for filling saidspace with water, a siphon chamber without the shell, a pipe connectingthe upper end of said chamber to said water space, a pipe connecting thelower end of said chamber to the interior of the inner shell, and asprayer-head connection to the last named pipe; substantially asdescribed.

24:. In an acetylene gas generator, an inner gas-holding shell and anouter water-holding shell surrounding a portion of the gasholding shell,a gas pipe connected to said inner shell, a siphon chamber, a gasconnection from the gas pipe to the siphon chamher, a Water connectionfrom the outer shell to the siphon chamber, and a water-dischargingconnection from said chamber to the interior of the gas holding shell;substantially as described.

25. In an acetylene gas generator, a gaspressure-controlled water-supplyregulator comprising a closed chamber provided with water and gas inletsand a water outlet, a

vertical tube connected to the water outlet, a bell mounted on saidtube, and a water passage through the upper part of said tube within thebell; substantially as described.

26. In an acetylene gas generator, a gaspressure controlled water-supplyregulator comprising a chamber provided with Water and gas inlets and awater outlet, a vertical tube rising from the water outlet within saidchamber, and a bell mounted on said tube and provided with alength-adjusting portion; there being a water passage through the upperpart of said tube into the bell; substantially as described.

27. In an acetylene gas generator, a generator body, comprising a pipeor tube of substantially the same diameter throughout,

in combination with means supporting said pipe or tube in an uprightposition, removable covers or closures fitting the ends of said pipe andmaking the same gas tight, a residue can in said pipe, a swinginggrating midway of said pipe to support a body of carbid, flexiblesupports for said grating secured to said residue can, gas pressurecontrolled means for feeding water into said body, and a gas outlet pipeleading from the upper part of said body, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands, this 10th day ofApril, 1905, at St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota, in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

GEO. H. EMERSON. ROBT. D. HAIVKINS. FREDERICK T. KITCHEN. IVit-nessesFILBER'r L. GABRIs, R. M. ALDRED.

